Prime Highlights
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) may increase the risk of cognitive difficulties, especially in attention, processing speed, and executive function as the disease progresses.
- Experts emphasize regular monitoring of thinking and memory in CKD patients to detect problems early and improve quality of life.
Key Facts
- Analysis of 5,607 adults with CKD showed that higher urinary protein levels were linked to weaker brain performance over six years.
- Even after adjusting for blood pressure and other factors, worsening kidney function remained associated with cognitive decline.
Background
A new study has found that chronic kidney disease (CKD) may increase the risk of cognitive problems, especially as the condition worsens. Researchers reported that people with more severe kidney damage showed greater difficulties in attention, processing speed, and executive function.
Researchers analysed data from 5,607 adults with CKD and found that higher levels of protein in urine, measured through the urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio, were associated with weaker performance in several brain functions. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.
Scientists followed people aged 21 to 79 for six years. They tested their blood and urine to check kidney function and gave them repeated brain tests to see how well their thinking worked.
Patients with more advanced kidney disease scored lower on tests of attention, thinking speed, and executive skills. Executive skills include planning, organizing, and solving problems.
Chronic kidney disease is a long-lasting condition where the kidneys slowly stop filtering waste from the blood. High blood pressure and diabetes often cause it.
Researchers said worsening kidney function may raise the risk of damage to blood vessels, including those in the brain. This vascular effect could help explain the higher rates of cognitive impairment seen in CKD patients.
However, the link between kidney disease and brain decline was not fully explained by hypertension alone. Even after adjusting for blood pressure and other clinical factors, the association remained.
The study pointed to several other possible causes. Chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, anaemia, sleep disorders and abnormal bone and mineral metabolism, all common in CKD, may contribute to changes in brain health.
Previous research also shows that people with long-term kidney problems have a higher risk of developing vascular dementia than the general population.
The authors said the findings show that doctors should regularly check thinking and memory in patients with chronic kidney disease, especially as the disease gets worse. Finding problems early can help doctors reduce risks and improve patients’ quality of life.
